Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi

Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi (born 1689 in Neyriz - died 1760 in Najaf) was a prominent Iranian mystic of the Safavid period (1501 to 1736). He was 32nd Qutb of Zahabiya genealogy (Shiite Sufi sect). All historians have written his name as Mohammad and his title as Qutb al-Din. In addition to his high position in the history of Shiite mysticism, he was one of the most important and influential political thinkers of the late Safavid period.

Birth and lineage
Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi was born 1689 in Neyriz, Neyriz County, Fars Province, Iran. The historians also mention his place of birth as Neyriz. The exact date of his birth is not mentioned in any of the biographies, but according to the introduction of his book "Ode to Love" (قصيده عشقيه), it can be found that it happened approximately around the year 1689 (1100 AH). His lineage reaches to Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (the fourth Imam in Shiʻi Islam) through 26 intermediaries of Sayyids, the elders of the religion. His lineage reaches to Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first Imam of Shia Muslims) through his father through 28 intermediaries. His mother descended from Al-Musawi family, so Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi joins Musa al-Kadhim (the seventh Imam in Twelver Shia Islam) on his mother's side.

Life and education
Exact information is not available about Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi's childhood. He probably lived in his hometown until adolescence, where he became acquainted with mystical literature. After that, he went to Shiraz and Isfahan and studied the sciences of Islamic jurisprudence, hadith, wisdom etc. with scholars such as Mullah Shah Mohammad Darabi (died 1728), and then turned to the acquisition of divine knowledge and true sciences, and studied under Sheikh Ali Naghi Estahbanati (died 1717) when he was about twenty years old. He acquired the divine sciences and knowledge from Sheikh Ali Naghi Estahbanati who was one of the greats of the Zahabiya genealogy (Shiite Sufi sect) at that time. Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi was also honored as the son-in-law of Sheikh Ali Naghi Estahbanati.

After the death of Sheikh Ali Naghi Estahbanati, Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi became the religious leader of Zahabiya genealogy (so-called Qutb of the sect) and its promoter, and he became responsible for guidance and education. Until the late of the 1720s (1130s AH), he continued to study and acquire religious sciences from the scholars and great men of science and mysticism of that time, and although he was the Qutb of the Zahabiya genealogy at that time, he did not stop learning. Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi emigrated to Shiraz to complete his studies in Arabic literature, Islamic jurisprudence, hadith and wisdom. It is said that in 1713 and 1714 (1125 and 1126 AH) he taught religious and mystical sciences in Grand Mosque of Shiraz. Probably in this period - between 1714 and 1716 (1126 and 1128 AH) - he began to apprenticing under Mullah Shah Mohammad Darabi (died 1728) and Mullah Mohammad Ali Sakkaki Shirazi (died in the middle of the 12th century AH). After that, he left for Najaf. Since Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi was in Kufa in 1717 (1129 AH), he must have gone to Iraq around 1716 (1128 AH). According to Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi himself, he met Seyyed Hashem Bahraani in Mosque of Kufa in 1717 (1129 AH) and was fascinated by his knowledge and perfection and became his student for some time.

Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi, as he himself has said in some of his works, returned to Iran after a while and was in Qazvin in 1718 (1130 AH). In Qazvin, he began to apprenticing under Mir Ebrahim Qazvini (died 1732). In addition to studying, Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi copied a manuscript of the Du'a al-Sabah written in the Kufic script by Mir Ebrahim Qazvini, and also arranged and completed the book "Manzumeye Alavieh" there. After that, he left for the holy city of Mashhad, where he met Mir Mohammad Taqi Khorasani (died 1726). After a while, he came to Isfahan along with Mir Mohammad Taqi Khorasani from Mashhad. Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi must have arrived in Isfahan before the Afghan invasion, i.e. before 1722 (1134 AH). Because in addition to most sources mentioning Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi presence in Isfahan before that date, he also studied under Mullah Mohammad Sadegh Ardestani (died 1721) in Isfahan for a while. However, he entered Isfahan around 1719 or 1720 and used the presence of Mullah Mohammad Sadegh Ardestani and Agha Khalil Esfahani (died 1724), and lived there until the early 1730s (1140s AH). He was also proficient in politics, including writing a letter to Sultan Husayn informing him of the current situation and dangers and predicting an attack by Afghans. In addition, as he himself has pointed out, in the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, Qazvin and Kashan, he had apprenticeship of many scholars and masters of the day.

Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi lived in Isfahan during one of the most difficult, turbulent and critical periods of Safavid dynasty. According to what he said in his books, it is known that he lived there for many years after the occupation of Isfahan by the Afghans, he has spoken about saving himself and his family from calamities, and told about the re-conquest of Isfahan and the arrival of the King Tahmasp II (reign 1728–1732), which took place in 1729. Therefore, it can be said that he was in Isfahan until about 1730. Then he returned to Shiraz from Isfahan and lived for about two decades there - that is, until the early 1750s (1160s AH). There he wrote and composed, also he trained his disciples, preached, and guided them. During this time, he traveled to his hometown of Neyriz and is said to have taught there for some time. Probably due to the turmoil in Shiraz from 1743 to 1745, Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi went to the Kharg Island for a while.

He left for Najaf in the early 1750s (1160s AH), probably in 1750. He arrived in Najaf in 1750 or 1751. Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi lived in Najaf until the end of his life, where he devoted himself to teaching, composing and training disciples. It is said that he held a meeting there at nights and told mystical secrets to the enthusiasts. He wrote most of his works in Najaf.

His disciples
Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi has trained many disciples, the most prominent of whom are:


 * Seyyed Mehdi ibn Morteza ibn Seyyed Mohammad Borujerdi, known as the "Bahr ol-Olum";
 * Akhund Mohammad Hashem Darvish Shirazi, spiritual guardian and caliph of Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi, thirty-third Qutb of the Zahabiya genealogy;
 * Akhund Mullah Mehrab Gilani, representative of Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi in Isfahan and Iraq;
 * Agha Mohammad Bidabadi, famous scholar and mystic of the late twelfth century AH;
 * Mohammad Baqir Abdul Saleh Shirazi
 * Sheikh Ahmad Ehsaei
 * Sheikh Jafar Najafi, known as the "Khatam al-Mujtahedin";
 * Mir Mohammad Ali Kashani Asam
 * Sheikh Mohammad Ehsaei
 * Mullah Mohammad Waez Bayat Labib, from famous ascetics;
 * Seyyed Ali, elder son of Seyyed Qutb al-Din Mohammad Neyrizi;
 * Lotfali Khan Khorasani
 * Seyyed Mohammad Najafi
 * Taqi Khan, ruler of Fars;
 * Mirza Mohammad Akhbari Neyshaburi

Death
In the last decade of his life he went to Najaf and spent the rest of his life there. On 5 April 1760 (18 Sha'ban 1173 AH), he died there and was buried in Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery.